With budget negotiations stalled, it’s becoming more likely that Gov. Bruce Rauner and the state’s top legislative leaders won’t reach an agreement before the end of the calendar year, when the state’s current stopgap spending plan expires.

If a budget deal isn’t reached before then, the state will lose spending authority for a variety of important services, like public colleges and universities and grants for health and social services. These are areas the state’s ongoing budget impasse has already adversely affected.

Chicago State University was forced to lay off more than 300 employees in April as a result of the budget crisis. CSU and other state universities could be forced to make additional cuts and layoffs if money isn’t appropriated to fund them.

Additionally, funding for Monetary Award Program grants expires at the end of the year, which could result in students losing tuition assistance.

In January, Lutheran Social Services, the state’s largest provider of social services, announced they would cut 30 programs and 750 jobs as a result of the state’s budget impasse. Other groups, like Catholic Charities, have also been affected by the ongoing stalemate.

Rauner’s office announced Wednesday that the governor wouldn’t schedule any future leaders meetings until state Democratic leaders are ready to present a budget proposal.

“We’re standing ready to meet with them anytime to get a balanced budget with reforms,” Rauner told reporters Thursday. “And the reforms should focus on four things: more jobs, lower property taxes, better schools and term limits.

“And if the stalling continues, as it has now for a long time, I will insist and I wanna be crystal clear, I will insist that, at a minimum, term limits and a property tax freeze are part of any stopgap, before I would accept that,” he added.

Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno faulted Democrats Tuesday for lacking a “sense of urgency,” claiming that House Speaker Michael Madigan and his staff aren’t worried about passing a budget before the end of the year.

That same day, Madigan claimed that the state’s July's stopgap is “in some respects a budget for 12 months.” That funding plan includes a year’s worth of appropriations for early childhood, elementary and secondary education, roads and construction and capital projects. The state is also required to pay for any services covered by court orders and consent decrees.

“On Jan. 1, spending authority for certain of those areas will expire,” Madigan told reporters. "That doesn’t mean that costs that have been incurred before Jan. 1 will not be paid. So if there's cost incurred before Jan. 1 and all the paperwork is properly filed, payments can be made for those costs."

Police were questioning a person of interest Friday in connection to the beating of a 94-year-old woman was attacked in her home Thursday. Police say a man fled in a stolen car before crashing it and eluding authorities.

Josephine Regnier, a mother and grandmother of 6, was walking into her Garfield Ridge home around noon Wednesday when she was attacked. She suffered a concussion, a black eye and broken ribs, family told NBC5.

Trump named Betsy DeVos the head of the federal Department of Education last month. DeVos has been a visible proponent of voucher programs that allow parents to use taxpayer money to pay for private or parochial schools, according to the report. Devos, whose husband is an heir to the Amway fortune, was a former chair of the Michigan Republican Party.

“I do know Betsy DeVos, I have great respect for her,” Rauner said Thursday. “I think she’s a very talented and very passionate education advocate. And I personally believe in school choice. And I look forward to working together."

The DeVos family, who are among the country’s top Republican donors, contributed $13,000 to the governor’s 2014 campaign, according to the Tribune. That includes a $1,000 donation from DeVos herself.

Lewis has repeatedly clashed with Rauner during his first term in office, even calling him a “new ISIS recruit” in April after the governor slashed millions in funding for the district and other social service groups.

“Has Homeland Security checked this man out yet,” Lewis asked as the time. “Because the things he’s doing look like acts of terror on poor and working class people."

Metra says it is mobilizing all its crews and snow-fighting resources this weekend to ensure a reliable commute for customers throughout its six-county service area.

“Metra has made a variety of improvements that leave us well-prepared for winter’s onslaught, including more and better switch heaters and better jet blowers to clear snow,” said Metra executive director and CEO Don Orseno in a statement. “We’ve also taken several steps to improve communications with our customers so they can always be up to date with the latest information about their trains.”

Metra says it has 45 snow plows and blowers, 63,000 bags or more than 3.1 million pounds of salt to kee platforms and other areas clear. The rail agency also encourages commuters to stay up to date with their email alert system, the Ventra app, the agency’s rail-time tracker and Twitter page. Passenger services can also be reached at 312-322-6777.

]]>Fri, 09 Dec 2016 17:27:04 -0600WATCH THE VIDEO.]]>WATCH THE VIDEO.]]>http://media.nbcchicago.com/images/213*120/anthonyrizzofaf.jpgThe Chicago Cubs were one of the biggest headlines across the city this year and fans weren't hiding their interest in the historic team. Here are some of the most-watched Cubs videos of 2016.]]>Fri, 09 Dec 2016 06:28:23 -0600http://media.nbcchicago.com/images/213*120/UIC+Shooting.png

A teenager was shot in Chicago’s University Village neighborhood early Friday.

The 17-year-old boy was riding in an SUV near the intersection of West Roosevelt Road and South Union Avenue just after midnight when he was shot in the chest, according to police.

President-elect Donald Trump spent $3 million on the family business as campaign expenses in the final weeks of the race, according to the last Federal Election Committee filing of the 2016 campaign, NBC New reported.

But even while spending millions on Trump-owned entities, he still spent less overall than Democratic rival Hillary Clinton during the closing stretch of the campaign and beyond.

Trump spent $94.5 million from Oct. 20 to Nov. 28, while Clinton spent $131.8 million over the same period, according to the new filings. The numbers indicate Clinton dramatically increased her spending during the last weeks of the campaign, whereas Trump's remained steady. They spent nearly the same amount, Clinton $50 million and Trump $49 million, during the first 19 days of the month.

Dwyane Wade scored 20 points and the Chicago Bulls handed the Spurs their first road loss after a 13-0 start, hanging for a 95-91 victory on Thursday night.

San Antonio fell one win shy of matching the NBA's best road start set by the Golden State Warriors last season. The Spurs cut an 18-point deficit midway through the third quarter to four in the closing minutes, only to come up short.

"Streaks are a good sign when they're positive and they're a bad sign when they're negative, but at the end of the day, it doesn't give you anything else," said Pau Gasol, the former Bull.

He's more concerned that the Spurs keep struggling early in games. It could be San Antonio is still adjusting after a busy offseason that included the retirement of Tim Duncan and the addition of several new faces to complement Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge. Even so, the Spurs need that to change.

"Our opponents have outplayed us physically and execute-wise in most first halves for most of the season, and somehow we pull it together in the second half and play harder and smarter than we did in the first half," coach Gregg Popovich said. "We got it to four, then some execution mistakes. That's the disappointing part, that we're not a very consistent team and we haven't learned as a group the game is 48 minutes."

Leonard scored 24 for San Antonio. Patty Mills added 16 points, hitting 4 of 6 3-pointers. Gasol had 13 points and 10 rebounds in his first game in Chicago since signing with San Antonio in the summer, but the Spurs lost a road game for the first time since Oklahoma City knocked them out in the Western Conference semifinals last season.

Jimmy Butler scored all of his 13 points for Chicago in the second half. Rajon Rondo added 12 points, nine assists and 10 rebounds, and Chicago picked up the win after dropping three in a row and six of nine.

The Bulls have beaten two of the NBA's best teams in the past week in the Spurs and defending champion Cleveland. But they also lost to Denver, the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas and Detroit during this slump.

"It's a long season," Wade said. "We have time to fix it. We could play with good teams in this league home or road, but we still have time to fix that. As long as we understand what we need to do, what we have 60 games left, whatever it is, we have a lot of games to fix that so hopefully we can."

STREAK ENDS

The Spurs had won 14 straight regular season road games since Denver beat them on April 8. But after a big push down the stretch, they couldn't pull out this one.

The Bulls led 65-47 midway through the third following a surge by Butler, who scored seven in a 54-second span after missing his first six shots. But the Spurs jumped back into it in the closing minutes of the quarter.

They went on an 11-2 run that Mills finished with a 3 to cut it to 72-66 just under a minute into the fourth.

Things got real tight when Gasol nailed a 3 to pull San Antonio within 88-84 with 3:24 left. Doug McDermott then hit three free throws after being fouled by Tony Parker, and the Bulls hung on.

WELCOME BACK

Gasol spent two seasons with Chicago and forgot for a moment where to go when he arrived at the United Center. The six-time All-Star was halfway to the Chicago locker room when he realized his mistake and turned around. The Bulls showed a video tribute to Gasol during a timeout midway through the first quarter.

TIP-INS

Spurs: Parker had eight points and five assists after missing a game because of a bruised left knee. ... For the second straight game, the Spurs set a season low for first-quarter scoring. They had 17 points after managing 19 at Minnesota on Tuesday night.

Bulls: McDermott scored eight points after being sidelined because of a concussion since Nov. 12. ... Butler had scored 20 or more in 15 consecutive games, the longest streak by a Bulls player since Michael Jordan did it in 24 straight during the 1995-96 season.

The star that will rise 36 floors along the Hyatt Regency Chicago's West Tower on Dec. 31 was inspired by the second star of the Chicago flag, which represents the great Chicago fire of 1871, and the city's resolve to rebuild itself and become the fastest growing city in the world by the end of the 19th century.

The ascending star is meant to symbolize the city's history of rising in the face of adversity, and is meant to be a beacon, encouraging everyone to "rise" and meet the opportunities of the New Year, according to organizers.

To make the holidays extra special, Hayden is asking for one thing: as many Christmas cards as possible.

The 5-year-old gets so excited to see new cards with his name on them in the mailbox that his mother, Summery Avery, says he even does a little “happy dance” when he receives one.

"Yesterday, he got five cards in the mail and he does this little happy dance and he was doing the happy dance the whole time he was reading the cards," Avery said.

Hayden is in remission from his cancer, but will need treatments for the next three years.

Christmas cards for Hayden be sent to the following address:

Hayden Drake 1637 Lum Buck Road Greenville, NC 27858

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Sen. Mark Kirk spoke for the final time on the Senate floor Thursday, praising Illinoisans’ ingenuity and extolling the Chicago Cubs recent World Series championship.

During Kirk’s short address, the senator thanked the people of Illinois, namely residents of the state's 10th Congressional district, whom Kirk served for ten years in the House of Representatives. Additionally, Kirk gave a resounding shout-out to the world champion Cubs.

“I can safely say without contradiction here in the Senate that the Chicago Cubs are now the World Series champions,” Kirk said. “And as I’ve said so many times, any professional baseball team can have a bad century."

“We have finally killed the curse of the goat and all the curses that befell our baseball team,” he added.

Following a contentious campaign, Kirk was knocked off by Rep. Tammy Duckworth in the November election. She will shift to the Senate in January.

Kirk lauded the state's innovative history Thursday, noting that the cell phone, vacuum cleaner and zipper were all invented by Illinoisans. Kirk also pointed out that the state produces the majority of the country's pumpkins.

“I want to give a message to the people of Illinois,” Kirk said. “For the people of Illinois I would say, take heart, Illinois, that you come from one of the most industrious states in the union, the fifth largest industrialized state.”

The outgoing Republican also reminisced about his time as a staffer on the House International Relations Committee. Kirk claimed his work helped bring a war crimes indictment against Simo Drljaca, a notorious Bosnian Serb who was killed in 1997. Kirk referred to Drljaca as a "monster" during the speech.

"I would say the United States in now the greatest force for human dignity that we have ever seen, and to make sure that those values are continued has been the heart of my service here in the Senate and the Congress," Kirk said.

During the speech, the senator also thanked a variety of people, including his old boss, former Illinois Rep. John Porter, and his longtime companion, Dodie McCracken.

Kirk was honored on the Senate floor Tuesday by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who lauded his fellow Republican’s recovery from a “debilitating” 2012 stroke.

The family of a California man who lay dying in a hospital wanted to make sure his beloved dog had one last chance to say goodbye.

Ryan Jessen, 33, had suffered a ventricular brain hemorrhage and was on a ventilator at Rideout Memorial Hospital in Marysville when his family brought his dog of six years, Mollie, to see him shortly before his death on Nov. 30, the "Today" show reported.

Michelle Jessen caught the heartbreaking moment on video and posted it on Facebook for friends and family. It has been viewed over 13 million times.

"The hospital did the sweetest thing for us and allowed us to bring my brother's dog in to "say goodbye" so she'd know why her human never came home. If you knew my brother, he really loved his sweet dog," Jessen's sister, Michelle, wrote on Facebook.

Photo Credit: Getty Images This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.]]>Fri, 09 Dec 2016 18:20:19 -0600http://media.nbcchicago.com/images/213*120/Starbucks-Storefront.jpg

A new upscale Starbucks Reserve is set to open on Chicago's North Side next year.

The new Starbucks store will open in the Wrigley Field office building complex with a so-called Starbucks Reserve experience bar, according to a company spokesperson.

“These stores are designed to have coffee craft be the center of conversation, where the coffee bars are interactive and customers can lean in and talk to our partners (employees) about how coffee is brewed on a siphon or made on a Black Eagle (manual espresso machine),” David Daniels, managing director for Starbucks Design, said in a statement. “The theater of coffee is the first thing you see when you walk in the door and it says, ‘Come here, sit down, learn more.'"

Starbucks has also teamed up with an Italian food partner, Princi, to introduce food into their new boutique bakery and cafe locations.

Chi-Town Rising returns to the Windy City for its second year as the Midwest's largest New Year's Eve celebration. The event features celebrity and musical guests, a countdown clock and a fireworks display at midnight.

2. Where Is It?

Chi-Town Rising takes place along the Chicago Roverfront between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive. As the countdown to 2017 begins, the star will rise 36 stories up the Hyatt Regency Chicago's West Tower.

3. What To Wear

Most Chi-Town Rising events will take place outside, so dressing for the weather is recommended. Public viewing areas on the north and south sides of the Chicago river will be part of a mass celebration. Be sure to dress warmly and wear comfortable (and warm) footware.

Details for the Corona Extra Party Zone and other official partner events will be released in the coming weeks. Guests should look to each event's host for the final word on appropriate attire, although the events are primarily indoors.

4. When To Arrive

Gates to the public viewing areas will open at 8 p.m. Be sure to come early to secure a spot, since public viewing areas are open on a first-come basis. Gates will be closed when capacity is reached. Details on arrival times for partner events will be posted on the Chi-Town Rising website as they become available.

5. Age And Entrance Restrictions

Most Chi-Town Rising events are geared toward adult audiences, and the City of Chicago's curfew rules will be enforced during the New Years Eve celebration.

Once capacity is reached in the public viewing areas, the gates will be closed and no re-entries will be allowed. The Corona Extra Party is 21 and over only, and entrace to the party will be allowed until 11 p.m.

6. Prohibited Items

Oversized bags, backpacks, duffel bags, luggage, chairs, coolers and strollers are among the list of prohibited items in any of the Chi-Town Rising events. For the complete list, visit the Chi-Town Rising site here.

7. Family-Friendly Activities

The Chi-Town Rising Family Countdown Celebration on the Chicago Cultural Mile begins at 3 p.m. and features a special Kid's Countdown just before 6 p.m. Admission to the Kid's Countdown is free.

8. Tickets

Access to the public viewing areas on the north and south sides of the River is free, but tickets are required. Tickets for guranteed entry into a viewing area are available on the Chi-Town Rising website while supplies last.

Chi-Town Rising's iconic "rising star" returns to the New Year's Eve celebration this year, following its debut at the inaugural event in 2015.

Contrary to popular New Year's Eve trends across the world, the rising star's ascension up the side of the Hyatt Regency Chicago introduced a New Year's Eve icon that organizers say rivals all others in size and capability.

"Our city's spirit inspired our choice to have an icon rise -- not fall -- on New Year's Eve," said John Murray, president and founder of Arena Partners. "We believe that the Rising Star is quntessentially Chicago, and for us, it's the heart of the entire Chi-Town Rising celebration."

The star was created by locally owned and operated The Chicago Flyhouse Incorporated. It was designed and built in Chicago by Arena Partners, ONE618 and The Chicago Flyhouse Incorporated.

The rising star weighs 12,000 pounds, and at 70 feet and 6 inches tall from tip to tip, the star will ascend 360 feet into the night sky to welcome in the New Year.

"Fabricating and rigging an icon that will rise in the night sky is an enormous undertaking," said Markk Witteveen, founder of The Chicago Fluhouse Inc. "When the clock strikes midnight in Chicago, the Rising Star will be a beautiful backdrop to bring in the New Year."

The star was inspired by the second star on the city's flag, which represents the Great Fire of 1871 and the city's phoenix-like rise in its aftermath.

The star's support structure is made up of about 34,000 pounds of steel. The beams that are used on the front of the Hyatt Regency Chicago, which act as guides for the Rising Star, are made up of 24,000 pounds of steel.

Nearly 2,000 feet of wire rop will be used to raise the star.

Entry to Chi-Town Rising is free with registration at chi-townrising.com. You can stream the star's ascension live on NBC 5 Chicago and Telemundo Chicago starting at 11:00 p.m. on New Year's Eve.

]]>Fri, 09 Dec 2016 17:02:21 -0600The job website CareerBuilder released the results of its annual holiday survey, and the report unwrapped some of the most unusual workplace holiday gifts.

Décor, food, and candy made CareerBuilder’s list but not in the way many people would think.

Here are CareerBuilder's top 10 unusual workplace holiday gifts.

]]>The job website CareerBuilder released the results of its annual holiday survey, and the report unwrapped some of the most unusual workplace holiday gifts.

Décor, food, and candy made CareerBuilder’s list but not in the way many people would think.

The job search site asked workers across the country to share the weirdest gifts they have received from a fellow employee during the holiday season -- and a coconut bra is just the tip of the iceberg.

Traditional holiday gifts, like ornaments, gift cards, books and candy, still ranked high among this year's answers. The most unusual presents, however, included two left-handed gloves, a jar of gravy and a real stuffed duck.

A handmade ornament for a sports team the recipient had never heard of

A singing chicken

A whip

Photo Credit: Getty Images]]>Fri, 09 Dec 2016 16:46:45 -0600http://media.nbcchicago.com/images/212*120/cmchicagocitys.jpgWith 2017 on the horizon, here is a look at some of the best #Chicagogram images of the city captured this year.

PAWS Chicago will host its 9th annual adopt-a-thon this weekend, with hopes of saving dozens of cats and dogs this holiday season.

On Friday and Saturday, the PAWS Chicago Pippen Fasseas Adoption Center will extend its hours for a special two-day adoption marathon in an effort to help homeless dog, cats, puppies and kittens find a home in time for the holidays.

]]>Fri, 09 Dec 2016 16:26:21 -0600http://media.nbcchicago.com/images/213*120/portada+champs+cubs.jpgThe Chicago Cubs beat the Cleveland Indians during the 2016 World Series, ending a 108-year losing streak in what was arguably the biggest sports moment of the year. Here's a look back at some of the best Cubs fan reactions during the historic season.

"Carfentanil is an elephant tranquilizer. It is not a drug that humans should be ingesting,” Dr. Steve Aks, emergency medicine physician and toxicologist at Cook County Health & Hospitals System's Stroger Hospital, said in a statement. “These high-potency opioids and opioid analogs are thousands of times stronger than street opioids like heroin and are far more likely to cause death.”

In June, a 35-year-old Lake Zurich man died from a “3-methylfentanyl overdose.” The analog is said to be four times more potent than morphine.

"Fentanyl and fentanyl analogues, like carfentanil, are very powerful drugs that are likely to be lethal," said Dr. Ponni Arunkumar, Cook County’s Chief Medical Examiner. “Just one dose can easily stop a person from breathing, causing immediate death.”

In 2016, 380 deaths have so far been caused, at least in part, by fentanyl or fentanyl analogs, the Cook County Medical Examiner reports. Officials note, however, that toxicology testing can take up to 90 days to complete.

In 2015, the office found 102 deaths were caused, at least in part, by fentanyl or fentanyl analogs. In 2014, only 20 deaths were attributed to fentanyl.

A former Santa Claus who made headlines after being accused of body-shaming a young boy during his shift has been hospitalized for a blood clot in his lung. In the midst of controvery and illness, the old Saint Nick has been bolstered by support from those locally who don't believe he's a bad Santa.

Earl Crowder, from Forest City, North Carolina, had played Mr. Claus for nearly a decade at his local Santa House until this week. He was hospitalized days after leaving his post as the holiday legend. Crowder resigned when 9-year-old Anthony Mayse accused the former Nicholas of fat-shaming him. Mayse told news station WLOS that Crowder said to “lay off the hamburgers and French fries” on his way out of the photo-op at the Santa House.

After a day filled with ice skating and other wintertime treats, Santa was supposed to be the grand finale for Mayse and his family’s fun weekend. Instead, the boy told WLOS that he cried himself to sleep because he was teased about his size.

“I think that’s just mean. Like honestly to make fun of that, that can really hurt a person's feelings,” Covey Fitzgerald told NBC affiliate WCNC.

On Wednesday morning, Crowder experienced shortness of breath and was taken to the hospital, his niece told WLOS.

The longtime Mr. Claus is reportedly beloved within his community, and a local businesswoman, SunShine McCurry, has set up a Facebook page in support of his recovery. Members are posting their favorite memories with the man from the North Pole. Some have added sweet, sentimental photos of their children sitting on his lap, writing that “Forest City Santa is NOT a BAD SANTA.”

"I just got word that Santa is improving. ..he is seeing these posts on this page and it has made him happy to know that so many people love him," McCurry wrote.

Though Crowder’s township has expressed its solidarity after his hospitalization, some Facebook comments still recognize that the fat-shaming incident was wrong.

“Any overweight child, or a child who is ‘different’ in any other way, knows it,” a Facebook user wrote. “He probably gets bullied and harassed plenty at school. He doesn’t need Santa Claus joining in to make him feel any more unhappy.”

In a statement, the town manager told WCNC that "the individual who played Santa Claus at the Santa House in Forest City made a remark that he regretted," and that Crowder "apologized to the parent, the child and the town."

Police say they believe the gummy bears that sickened roughly a dozen Naperville North High School students earlier this week were laced with pot and appear to be "homemade."

"It would appear from our investigation that the candy was homemade and not store bought," Naperville police said in a statement. "In addition, we still believe that it was a form of cannabis in the gummy bears that made the students ill, but we are awaiting lab results to confirm this."

"Each student had varying degrees of discomfort and subsequent treatment," the statement read.

The Naperville Fire Department said it evaluated and treated 14 students at the school, 13 of which were believed to have been affected by the gummy bears. The school later said only 12 were being treated for eating the gummy bears.

The students were taken to Edward Hospital where they were put under observation. By Tuesday afternoon, most of the students had been released.

Officials said the students had symptoms including fast heart rate, dry mouth and dizziness. The students told authorities they believed the gummy bears may have been laced with some sort of liquid marijuana.

Police said it was not clear if the gummy bears did in fact contain marijuana, but some gummy bears were recovered and sent for testing.

A 17-year-old was taken into custody, according to police, but authorities said they had more leads and were still looking to speak with other students.

"We encourage all parents to have conversations with their children about making healthy choices. Our community is fortunate to have a number of resources available through school and other community partners to support the wellbeing of students," Fregoso said in a statement. "We continue to review the specifics of the situation and will address it appropriately."

"This will truly be a powerfully uniting moment for the American people," said Presidential Inaugural Committee Chairman Thomas J. Barrack Jr. "We will celebrate our country, its diverse and patriotic heritage, our democracy and the inaugural process as the greatest display of a peaceful transfer of partisan power in the world."

For updates on the inauguration, you can follow @TrumpInaugural on Twitter.

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Snow blanketed parts across the U.S. on Friday as an Arctic chill and winter storm brought plunging temperatures and dangerous winter conditions, NBC News reported.

In the Pacific Northwest, an advancing storm was expected to dump snow before advancing over a 2,600-mile area through the Rockies, Plains, Midwest and Northeast by early next week, according to The Weather Channel.

The cold weather and snow is expected to advance inland across the country over the weekend.

Photo Credit: AP This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.]]>Fri, 09 Dec 2016 20:23:57 -0600http://media.nbcchicago.com/images/213*120/rodgers_cohn.jpg

Donald Trump has offered Goldman Sachs executive Gary Cohn the directorship of the National Economic Council and assistant to the president for economic policy, sources close to Cohn told NBC News.

Meanwhile, Trump's transition team announced Thursday that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani removed his name from consideration for a position in the new administration during a meeting held on Nov.29. Giuliani will remain on Trump's transition team as a vice chairman.

"Rudy Giuliani is an extraordinarily talented and patriotic American. I will always be appreciative of his 24/7 dedication to our campaign after I won the primaries and for his extremely wise counsel," Trump said in a statement, adding that he can see an important place for him in the administration at a later date."

It is unclear if Cohn, 54, will accept the post, but he reportedly had discussions late last month about leaving Goldman where he is president and chief operating officer.

McMorris Rodgers is the highest-ranking Republican woman in the U.S. House of Representatives. She serves as chair of the House Republican Conference and earlier this month was appointed to serve as a vice chair of Trump's transition team.

Snow is expected to develop across the area by early Saturday evening and continue through Sunday evening with accumulations of more than 6 inches possible.

Far northern counties could see up to 10 inches of snow, according to early predictions, with up to 8 inches possible in central sections of the metro area. Areas south of Chicago will likely see less snow, with accumulations of 3 inches or less forecast.

More light snow is possible during the evening as well, continuing into Tuesday morning.

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A new survey shows that Americans are split on how they think President-elect Donald Trump’s economic policies will affect them, NBC News reports.

Consumer finance firm Bankrate asked a thousand Americans how they thought the Trump administration would impact their personal finances, and found that the largest group, 39 percent, believe it'll make no difference on their financial status. Twenty-eight percent responded that Trump would have a positive influence on their economic situation, while 26 percent felt the opposite.

The results come just three months after participants of another survey overwhelmingly told Bankrate that the largest risk to the domestic economy in the following half year was the result of the 2016 presidential election. The 39 percent in the latest poll may not connect governmental actions with their own bank accounts and tax returns.

The next software update for the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will make it completely useless, the company said Friday, effectively killing off the ill-fated phone.

The update, scheduled for Dec. 19, 2016, will stop the recalled device from charging or working as a mobile device. About 1.9 million Galaxy Note 7s were recalled in the United States, after 96 batteries overheated and 13 burns were reported, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

But Verizon said it would not push the update to phones on its network, saying it didn't want to make it harder for people to communicate without a device to switch to.

"We will not push a software upgrade that will eliminate the ability for the Note7 to work as a mobile device in the heart of the holiday travel season. We do not want to make it impossible to contact family, first responders or medical professionals in an emergency situation," Jeffrey Nelson, vice president for Global Corporate Communications said in a statement Friday.

Samsung has instructions for how to replace or refund phones on its website, which was last updated Friday. It continues to advise that anyone who still has one of the phones immediately power it down and return it for an exchange or refund.

The Cubs Trophy Tour kicks off in Chicago Friday before traveling throughout the Midwest to show off the team’s new World Series Championship hardware.

“We’re excited to share our cherished trophy with fans this offseason as we celebrate such a historic World Series Championship,” said Cubs Executive Chairman Tom Ricketts in a statement announcing the tour Thursday. “This year’s World Championship team is unparalleled, and so are our fans. We can’t wait for them to experience the joy of seeing this piece of history in person.”

At each stop, fans can take photos with the Commissioner’s Trophy. Those uploaded to social media using the hashtag #CubsTrophyTour will be posted to cubs.com/trophytour, along with the evolving schedule, highlights and fun facts about the World Series Trophy.

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Cubs fans now have a chance to get their championship gear on along Chicago's Magnificent Mile.

A new pop-up Cubs Team Store opens Friday morning at 663 N. Michigan Avenue in the city’s Gold Coast neighborhood.

It is the first official team store outside of Wrigleyville.

To mark the opening, the Commissioner's Trophy will be on display from noon to 3 p.m., allowing fans to take photos with the trophy for the first time. From there, the Cubs will take the team's World Series Championship hardware on a tour across the Midwest.

The temporary Cubs Team Store store is expected to stay open through April.

If it's true that an army travels on its stomach, will better snacks keep passengers loyal to one airline?

Delta Air Lines is rolling out new free snacks for customers in the main cabin, including brand-name yogurt bars and pretzels. Some will come in larger portions than before because, Delta has figured out, that's what customers crave.

The menu move comes about a year after United Airlines brought back free snacks by offering noshes like stroopwafels — a gooey Dutch confection — and better coffee. Earlier this year, American Airlines restored free snacks on domestic flights.

Airline executives say they're focusing on both big and little things in the battle for customers.

Delta said Thursday that beginning next week it will retire the airline's brand of peanuts and pretzels and replace them on longer flights with Snyder's of Hanover pretzels, Squirrel honey-roasted peanuts and NatureBox yogurt bars.